Ditching machine



Dec. 24, 1957 H. A. BARBER 2,

DITCHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17; 1955 v 4 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR.

HA R RY A. BARBER ATTORNEYS Dec. 24, 1957 BARBER DITCHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HARRY A. BARBER lwy 94% ATTO RNEYS Dec. 24, 1957 H. A. BARBER 2,817,167

DITCHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HARRY A. BARBER ATTO RNEYS Dec. 24, 1957 H. A. BARBER DITCHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 17, 1955 INVENTOR. HARRY A. BARBER ATTORNEYS United States Patent DITCHING MACHINE Harry A. Barber, Aurora, 111., assignor to Barber-Greene Company, Aurora, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 17, 1955, Serial No. 547,467

6 Claims. (Cl. 37-86.)

This invention relates to improvements in ditching machines and more particularly relates to an improved form of endless chain type of ditcher for excavating narrow ditches in earth and like material for the laying' of pipe and the like.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a ditcher of a novel and improved construction wherein the weight of the machine is taken on the front drive wheels therefor and on ground level shoes movable into engagement with the ground during the ditching operation, which maintain the depth relationship of the ditch to the ground level.

A further object of the invention is to provide an efiicient and novel ditcher particularly adapted for digging narrow ditches or trenches suitable for the laying of pipe and the like, in which ground level shoes come into slidable supporting engagement with the ground and sup port the cutter boom or bar of the ditcher for digging and maintain a predetermined depth of the ditch in accordance with the position of the digging boom or bar therefor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a ditcher for digging narrow trenches suitable for laying pipelines and the like, in which digging is effected by a cutter bucket line or chain orbitally guided about a boom or cutter bar, and in which supporting shoes movable with the cutter bar upon feeding movement of the bar into the ground for ditching, move therewith and limit the depth of the ditch in accordance with the position of the bar or boom with respect to the ground.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a self-propelled ditcher in which a cutter chain orbitally guided about a cutter bar effects the digging operation upon downward feeding movement of the cutter bar into the ground, and in which the entire frame of the machine is tilted about the front supporting and drive wheels therefor to position the cutter chain in minimum ground clearance for digging, and in which the weight of the machine is taken on the front drive wheels and on ground level support shoes movable into engagement with the ground upon downward feeding movement of the cutter bar.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mobile ditcher supported on front drive wheels and at least one rear idler wheel in which the frame of the ditcher is tilted about the front drive wheels to position the boom or cutter bar thereof in minimum clearance position with respect to the ground, and in which the ditcher is so balanced that the weight of'the machine during digging is taken on the front drive wheels and on ground level shoes mounted to each side of the cutter bar or boom and coming into engagement with the ground, as the cutter bar or boom is fed downwardly into the ground for ditching.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wheren:

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Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the forward end portion of a ditcher constructed in accordance with my invention showing the cutter boom or bar in an elevated traveling position;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the ditcher, showing the ditcher frame and cutter bar supported in a digging position in the ground;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the forward end portion of the ditcher showing the ditcher boom in an elevated position with respect to the ground;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing certain details of the link and leverage mechanism for elevating the ditcher boom and feeding the same into the ground; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the linkage mechanism shown in Figure 4.

In the drawings, I have shown a ditcher 10 having a forwardly projecting cutter bar or boom 11 having a cutter chain 12 guided for orbital movement thereabout on ears 13 extending inwardly of certain links of the cutter chain and slidably engaging opposite sides of the cutter bar or boom 11. The chain 12 has spaced buckets or digger teeth 15 projecting outwardly and laterally from certain links thereof and formed to dig into the ground and carry the earth upwardly out of the ditch, to be deposited to either side of the ditch by flinger paddles 16 carried on a head shaft 17 for the cutter bar 11. The flinger paddles 16 extend along opposite sides of the cutter bar 11 and cutter chain 12 and fling or propel the soil excavated from the ditch laterally beyond opposite sides of the ditch. The head shaft 17 also carries a cutter chain drive sprocket 19 meshing with the chain 12 for driving the same.

The head shaft 17 is shown as being journaled within a recessed forward end portion 20 of a frame 21 for the ditcher a substantial distance in advance of axles 22 for rubber tire traction wheels 23, for propelling the frame 21 and ditcher along the ground. The frame 21 is shown as having a motor 24, herein shown as being a gasoline engine and mounted on said frame rearwardly of the axles 22, for driving the traction wheels 23 through a chain and sprocket drive 25 and chain and sprocket and reduction drives indicated generally by reference character 26. The head shaft 17 and sprocket 19 are likewise driven from the engine 24 through a chain and sprocket drive 27 driven by the chain and sprocket drive 25 and a second chain and sprocket drive 29 having driving connection with the head shaft 17.

The rear end portion of the frame 21 is shown as being supported on a caster wheel 30 carried in a fork 31. The fork 31 is vertically pivoted on a pedestal 32 transversely pivoted between brackets 33 depending from parallel spaced arms 34, on pivot pins 35. The arms 34 extend rearwardly of the rear end portion of the frame 21 and are pivotally connected thereto at their forward ends on a transverse pivot pin 36. Sector plates 37 are secured to opposite sides of the frame 21 and extend rearwardly therefrom inwardly of the arms 34. The sector plates 37 are provided with a series of apertures 39 adapted to be registered with pins 40 extending through ears 41 extending vertically from the arms 34.

Thus, when it is desired to position the frame 21 in the forwardly tilted digging position shown in Figure 2, the pins 40 are removed from the apertures 39 and the frame is manually tilted about the axles 22. When the frame has been tilted to the desired position, the pins 40 may then be registered with'the apertures 39 to hold the frame in position. It should here be noted that the axles 22 are at substantially the center of the frame 21 and that when the frame 21 is in the forwardly tilted position shown in Figure 2 and the cutter bar is fed into 3 the ground for digging a ditch therein by operation of the cutter chain 12 and teeth 15, that the weight of the machine is taken off the rear caster wheel 30 and that this caster wheel may be completely off the ground during the ditching operation.

When it is desired to move the machine from working place to working place at the termination of the ditching operation, the pins 40 may again be removed from the apertures 39 and manual pressure may be exerted on the rear end of the frame 21 tilting the frame upwardly about the axles 22 to the traveling position as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The pins 40 may then be registered with the desired apertures 39 in the sector plates 37 to hold the frame 21 in the desired traveling position.

The boom or cutter bar 11 is pivotally moved about the axis of the head shaft 17 by manual operation of a hand lever 43 secured to a transverse shaft 44 supported at the front of the frame 21 on spaced brackets 45. A crank arm 46 is secured to the shaft 44 intermediate its ends, and is shown in Figure as extending downwardly from said shaft. A pair of parallel spaced links 47 extend along opposite sides of the crank arm 46 and are pivotally connected thereto as by a pivot pin 49. The links 47 extend forwardly of the crank arm 46 along opposite sides of a sector plate 50, extending inwardly of a plate 51, connecting spaced links 53 together. The links 53 extend along opposite sides of the cutter bar or boom 11 and are pivotally connected thereto as by a pivot pin 55. The links 47 are connected together by a spacer 56 and are pivoted to the plate 50 on a pivot pin 57. A spring pressed pin 59 is carried on one of the links 47 to register with any one of a plurality of apertures 66 in sector plate 50 to hold the links 47 in the desired angular relation with respect to the arms 46 and the plate 50 which gives the digging depth of the cutter chain. The pin 59 is biased by a spring (not shown) to register with the selected apertures 60 in the plate 50 and is released by operation of a handle 61 on the outer end of said pin. A spring 63 is connected at one end to a connector 64 on a bearing bracket 45 for the shaft 44, and is connected at its opposite end to a crank 65 pinned or otherwise secured to the shaft 44. The crank 65 is shown as being at substantially right angles to the crank 46 and serves to hold the crank arm 46 and lever 43 in the retracted or traveling position shown by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 5 when over center with respect to the axis of the shaft 44, or at the required digging depth as shown in Fig. 5.

The flingers 16 are keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 17 on opposite sides of the boom or cutter bar 11 and inclue flinger arms 67 having flinger paddles 69 on the ends thereof, extending laterally and angularly outwardly from the body of the flinger arm 67 in opposite directions, to form spaced angular impeller faces facing the direction of rotation of the fiinger to throw the soil away from the ditch or trench dug by the cutter teeth 15. The outside radius of the flinger paddles 67 is approximately the radius of the tips of the cutter teeth as they travel about the cutter chain drive sprocket 19, so that the paddles travel at the peripheral speed of the cutter teeth to keep the soil excavated thereby from falling back into the trench or ditch dug by said cutter teeth.

Secured to the cutter bar 11 on opposite sides thereof, a substantial distance in advance of the sprocket 19 are arcuate shoes 70 pivotally movable with the cutter bar about the axis of the shaft 17 to come into engagement with the ground during feeding movement of the cutter bar 11 and cutter teeth 15 into the ground. The shoes 70 slidably support the forward end portion of the machine for movement along the ground during the ditching operation and also form a depth gauge therefor, positively determining the depth of the ditch or trench for any position of said shoes.

Each ground engaging shoe 70 is of a generally arcuate form at the end thereof coming into engagement with the ground, to provide an upturned end portion 71 forming a runner to ride over irregularities in the ground when the shoe 70 is in the position shown in Figure 2. The upturned end portion 71 turns into a flattened portion 73 at the retreating end of the shoe. The flattened portion 73 has an car 74 turned at right angles with respect thereto and extending forwardly therefrom and secured to the cutter bar or boom 11 as by bolts 75. The flattened portion 73 also has a plate 76 extending upwardly therefrom at an angle and welded or otherwise secured to a deflector plate 77, extending upwardly and inwardly toward the frame 21 in an arcuate path. The inner periphery of the shoe 70 and the plate 77 conform generally to the path of the flinger paddles 69 and cooperate with said paddles in deflecting the earth excavated laterally away from the ditch. A plate 79 extending at right angles from the plates 73 and 76 forms a gusset plate connecting the plates 73 and 76 with the deflector 77. A spacer collar 80 and pin 81 extending through the plate 79 are provided to space the shoe 70 with respect to the cutter bar 11 in the required spaced relation to clear the teeth 15.

In operation of the ditcher when it is desired to dig a narrow ditch or trench in the earth and the machine is in position, the frame 21 is first tilted into the downwardly inclined position shown in Figure 2, with the cutter bar 11 in its elevated position. This tilting is done manually upon removal of the pin 40 from the respective aperture 39 in the sector plate 37. When the frame has been tilted to give the cutter chain teeth the desired minimum ground clearance, the pin 40 is then replaced to maintain the frame in its tilted position.

The cutter chain 12 is then driven about the cutter bar 11 with the lower run of the chain traveling toward the frame 21. As the cutter chain is put into operation, the bar or boom may be pivoted about the head shaft by operation of the hand lever 43 by moving said hand lever from the rearwardly extending or retracted position shown in Fig. 1 toward the forwardly extending position shown in Fig. 2 until the cutter bar has been fed into the earth to the required depth. The traction wheels 23 may then feed the frame 21 and cutter bar 11 and chain 12 along the ground, with the caster wheel 30 leading the machine. The cutter bar 11 may be held in the required digging position by moving the lever 43, into the position shown in Fig. 5, it being understood that the chain 12 and teeth 15 travel in a direction to dig themselves into the ground.

As the cutter bar 11 and cutter chain 12 move downwardly into the ground, the shoe 70 pivotally moving with the cutter bar comes into engagement with the ground and with the drive wheels 23 supports all of the weight of the machine and maintains the depth relationship of the cutter bar 11 and chain 12 with respect to the ground. In this condition of the machine with the shoes 70 in engagement with the ground and the shoes and drive wheels 23 supporting all the weight of the machine, the weight of the machine has been taken from the leading caster wheel 30 which wheel is usually spaced above the ground during the ditching operation, the entire ditcher being balanced about the axles 22 and on the shoes 70.

The shoes 70 are also so designed as to give ground contact as the boom is pivoted to vary the ditch depth and the arcuate surfaces of the shoes are generated from a radius, the center of which is the center of the head shaft 17. This will uniformly bring the shoes into engagement with the ground during downward feeding movement of the cutter bar or boom 12 and maintain the depth relationship of the boom to the ground level, with the ground line tangent to the arcuate portions of the shoes 70 and the flat portions 73 riding along the ground as the cutter bar is adjusted to cut at its maximum depth, as shown in Figure 2.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it should be understood that I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the particular embodiment shown and that various modifications of my invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as'my invention:

1. In a ditcher of the class described, a main frame, front traction wheels having axles supporting said main frame a substantial distance from the forward end thereof, a rear idler wheel engageable with the ground a substantial distance rearwardly of the rear end of said main frame, means adjustably supporting said main frame on said rear idler wheel and accommodating tilting of said main frame about said axles, a head shaft at the forward end of said main frame, a cutter bar pivotally mounted on said head shaft for pivotal movement thereabout, a sprocket on said head shaft, a cutter chain guided for orbital movement about said cutter bar and meshing with said sprocket, means for driving said sprocket and chain, means for pivotally moving said cutter bar about said head shaft toward and from the ground, and ground engaging shoes movable about the axis of said head shaft into engagement with the ground upon pivotal movement of said cutter bar toward the ground and cooperating with said front traction wheels to support a substantial part of the weight of said main frame and cutter bar on the ground during the digging operation and maintaining the depth of said cutter bar with respect to the surface of the ground in all positions of adjustment thereof.

2. In a ditcher of the class described, a main frame, front traction wheels having axles supporting said main frame a substantial distance from the forward end thereof, a rear idler wheel engageable with the ground a substantial distance rearwardly of the rear end of said main frame, adjustable supporting means between said rear idler wheel and said main frame, accommodating tilting movement of said main frame about said front traction wheels, a head shaft at the forward end of said main frame, a cutter bar pivotally mounted on said head shaft for pivotal movement thereabout, a sprocket on said head shaft, a cutter chain guided for orbital movement about said cutter bar and meshing with said sprocket, means for driving said sprocket and chain, means for pivotally moving said cutter bar about said head shaft toward and from the ground, and means for controlling the relationship of said cutter bar with respect to said frame and the level of the ground during the ditching operation comprising a ground engaging shoe having an arcuate ground engaging surface, the arc of which is struck from a radius the center of which is the axis of said head shaft, said ground engaging surface coming into engagement with the ground upon downward feeding movement of said cutter bar and chain into the ground and slidably supporting the forward end portion of the machine on the ground for varying depth positions of said cutter bar.

3. In a ditching apparatus of the class described, a frame having front drive wheels having axles supporting said frame for tilting movement thereabout and spaced a substantial distance rearwardly of the forward end of said frame, at least one rear idler wheel spaced a substantial distance rearwardly of said frame for supporting the rear end thereof for traveling, an arm pivotally connected to said frame and supporting the rear end portion of said frame on said idler wheel, means retaining said arm in fixed relation with respect to said frame, said means being releasable to accommodate tilting movement of the forward end of said frame about said axles into a downwardly inclined position with respect to said ground for digging and into an upwardly inclined position with respect to the ground for transportation, a transverse head shaft journaled in said frame adjacent the forward end thereof and having a sprocket thereon and driven thereby, a cutter bar pivotally mounted on said head shaft, a cutter chain guided for orbital movement about said cutter bar and driven by said sprocket, means manually operable for moving said cutter bar toward and from the ground, and means for maintaining the depth of said cutter bar with respect to the surface of the ground comprising a ground engaging shoe pivotally movable about said head shaft with said cutter bar and coming into engagement with the ground upon feeding movement of said cutter bar and chain into the ground, and maintaining a definite relationship between said cutter bar and the ground level in all positions of said cutter bar with respect to the ground.

, 4. In a ditching apparatus of the class described, a frame having front drive wheels having axles supporting said frame for tilting movement thereabout and spaced a substantial distance rearwardly of the forward end of said frame, at least one rear idler wheel spaced a substantial distance rearwardly of said frame for supportation, a transverse head shaft journaled in said frame adjacent the forward end'thereof and having a sprocket thereon and driven thereby, a cutter bar pivotally mounted on said head shaft, a cutter chain guided for orbital movement about said cutter bar and driven by said sprocket, means manually operable for moving said cutter bar toward and from the ground, and means for maintaining the depth of said cutter bar with respect to the surface of the ground comprising ground engaging shoes secured to said cutter bar on each side thereof and having arcuate ground engaging surfaces supporting a major part of the weight of the machine during the ditching operation and movable with said cutter bar into engagement with the ground and maintaining a definite relationship of said cutter bar with respect to the level of the ground in all positions of said cutter bar with respect to said frame.

5. A mobile ditcher particularly adapted to dig thin vertical ditches in the ground for pipe and the like comprising a frame, front drive wheels having axles supporting said frame a substantial distance rearwardly of the forward end thereof for pivotal movement about the axis of said axles, a head shaft disposed a substantial distance forwardly of said axles and journaled in said frame, a cutter bar pivotally mounted on said head shaft and having a cutter chain guided for orbital movement thereabout, a sprocket on said shaft for driving said cutter chain about said cutter bar, manually operable means for pivotally moving said cutter oar about said head shaft and maintaining said cutter bar in position with respect to said frame, a caster wheel spaced rearwardly of said frame for supporting the rear end thereof during traveling, an arm transversely pivoted to said frame ad jacent the rear end thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom, said caster wheel having supporting connection with the rear end of said arm, a releasable connection between said arm and frame to vary the position of said arm and frame with respect to the ground, said connection being manually releasable to accommodate the forward end of said frame to be tilted upwardly with respect to said front drive wheels for traveling and downwardly with respect to said front drive wheels during digging, and means for maintaining a definite relationship between said cutter bar and chain with respect to the ground when said frame is in its downwardly tilted digging position comprising a ground engaging shoe spaced forwardly of said cutter chain drive sprocket and movable about the axis thereof into engagement with the ground upon downward feeding movement of said cutter bar into the ground to cut a ditch therein, and

cooperating with said front drive wheels to support the weight of the ditcher during the ditching operation, and

said ground engaging shoe having ,slidable supporting engagement with the ground in all depth positions of about, a sprocket on said shaft for driving said cutter chain about said cutter bar, manually operable means for pivotally moving said cutter bar about said head shaft and maintaining said cutter bar in position with respect to said frame, a caster wheel spaced rearwardly of said frame for supporting the rear end thereof during traveling, an arm transversely pivoted to said frame adjacent the rear end thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom, said caster wheel having supporting connection with the rear end of said arm, a releasable connection between said arm and frame to vary the position of said arm and frame with respect to the ground, said connection being manually releasable to accommodate the forwardend of .said frame to be tilted upwardly with respect to said front drive wheels for traveling and downwardly with respect to said front drive wheels during digging, and means for maintaining a definite relationship between said cutter bar and chain with respect to the ground when said frame is in its downwardly tilted digging position comprising ground engaging shoes secured to said cutter bar in advance of said sprocket and on opposite sides thereof for movement therewith and having arcuate ground engaging surfaces movable with said cutter bar into engagement with the ground, and cooperating with said front drive wheels to support the weight of the ditcher on the ground in all depth positions of said cutter bar with respect to the ground during digging.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 291,093 Selby Jan. 1, 1884 890,791 Parsons June 16, 1908 1,108,268 Stahl Aug. 25, 1914 2,373,652 Bacon Apr. 17, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 811,630 Germany Aug. 23, 1951 

